Special Edition Newsletter

Dear colleagues

Registration Numbers so far

As of 5 May, over 11 500 health-care facilities had registered for the second SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands global annual initiative. This far exceeds the target of 10 000 facilities, set in May 2009, and shows the incredible commitment from regions, countries and health-care facilities from around the globe in support of patient safety. In addition, since 5 May 2010, more health-care facilities continue to register. WHO is extremely proud to coordinate the efforts of 5 May, but it's the efforts of all those working tirelessly at local level that makes SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands the global movement that it is.

The Power of Local Activities

Thank you for all your efforts - your response to SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands May 2010 has been overwhelming!

The number of local plans and activities shared with WHO for 5 May 2010 was indeed incredible. Despite many competing priorities and barriers to improving hand hygiene compliance, many health-care facilities, regions and countries demonstrated outstanding commitment towards ensuring patient safety through clean hands. We feature many examples of activities on our web pages and received many more, including photographs and videos of amazing events around the globe!

Professor Didier Pittet said 'The response to SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands 5 May 2010 represents over 6.5 million health-care workers and 2.7 million patient beds in 138 countries, territories and areas! We will be sending commendation letters to registered facilities. Due to the overwhelming numbers, these letters will be delivered over the next weeks and months. You are at the frontline of patient care with the critical responsibility of ensuring that the people for whom you care for do not acquire infections. This is what makes this initiative an exciting and important global movement - which can only exist with your sustained commitment. Well done to everyone!'

The Next Steps for SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands

As a registered facility you will continue to receive SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands e-newsletters. We aim to send these on a monthly basis to keep you up-to-date with WHO activities and information from around the globe; in the coming months we will also be discussing the forward strategy for the SAVE LIVES global annual initiative..

On 5 May 2010 WHO launched new information on 'the evidence for clean hands' and a new Hand Hygiene Self Assessment Framework tool. Use this new information to inform your hand hygiene improvement strategies along with the other tools and resources available from WHO.

The Hand Hygiene Moment 1 tool and instructions are also important new documents. Be part of monitoring hand hygiene compliance in your area by using these and the WHO 'My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene' tools.

WHO will continue to update their web pages with new and motivating information and any enquiries can be sent to savelives@who.int.

Thank you to everyone for all of their hard work and commitment. I was moved by the stories we have heard and the events in which we had the privilege to be included. I sincerely hope that the WHO coordination of the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands initiative continues to galvanise action and improve patient safety around the globe.

Previous SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands newsletters can be found on the website (see link below) and can be used to help you develop your own messages to encourage others to take action. Please cascade this and other SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands messages to as many as you can to help this global movement, the time is now more critical than ever.